Emersed Java Moss refugium for sump, help

[madmark285]

So in my latest sump, I want to add a refugium for growing Java/Christmas moss emersed. The primary goal is filtration ie: remove nitrates. The refugium is basically a tray which will be attached to the last baffle wall in the sump. The tray will be ~2" tall, 4" wide and 20" long. Below is a simple diagram:

So the water flows over the Sump Baffle into the Refugium then down the Water return pipe. I was thinking about a 1" water depth in the refugium with a screen for the moss on the water surface. But I am clueless on this, I suck at growing plants. I can mount the screen in the middle of the water and could increase the water depth. I would gladly accept any ideas.

 

[Colin_T]

Java Moss doesn't take up much nitrate. If you want to remove nitrates with plants, use floating plants like Water Sprite, Duckweed or red root floaters, or have terrestrial plants above the tank/ sump and let their roots grow into the water.

@Wills and a few others here use garden plants to reduce nitrates in their water.

 

[madmark285]

Java Moss doesn't take up much nitrate.

So how about Pathos?

For a refugium specifically designed to grow pothos emersed, I can make the refugium 20" long, ~1.5" wide with a water depth of 4". The refugium will be attached to the back wall of the sump (29 gallon aquarium). This will only use ~.6 gallon of space in the sump. That's perfect.

The cover can be a bunch of small pieces of PVC with a hole cut on the side. So screw down one piece, put plant in, screw down another piece.

I have a spare Hygger Full Spectrum Fish Tank Light (24")

Big thanks to all, this should work great!

NOTE: I could make the refugium using a 2" piece of pipe, just drill a hole on top and stick a plant in. But this would be difficult to clean.

 

[Magnum Man]

I use a lot of Terrestrial plants… the ones I suspect remove the most fish waste, are Pothos, and Chinese Evergreen 2 very different types of the plants, but both grow well in aquariums